Counterterrorism: Call on African states to “combine” efforts

ADDIS-ABABA – The African Union commissioner for Peace and Security Smail Chergui called, on Monday, for the combination of political and economic efforts to fight the “root causes” of terrorism, notably in the Sahel region.

Speaking at a press conference, held on the sidelines of the 32nd AU summit in Addis Ababa, Chergui lamented, on occasion, the “progress of terrorism” in the Sahel, calling “for a joint action against its root causes, especially the economic and political ones”.

Citing, particularly, the case of Burkina Faso, confronted “almost daily with criminal attacks and terrorists”, the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security noted that “the terrorist movements are multiplying.”

In this regard, he noted that “the Sahel is experiencing an unprecedented situation in terms of security challenges”.